The invention concerns a public sanitary cell consisting essentially of a sanitary compartment accessible by means of an outer door in which a toilet having a waste drain is disposed.
Public toilets are usually provided in large cities in frequently visited locations and are either accommodated in a building provided therefor or are in the form of erected prefabricated sanitary cells. The sanitary cells are accessible through an outer door opened by insertion of a coin and have completely automatic cleaning devices. When a user leaves the sanitary cell, the outer door is closed and the cleaning process begins. After cleaning is completed, the outer door is automatically unlocked so that the sanitary cell is accessible once more following insertion of a coin. Sanitary cells of this kind have direct local connection to the sewage system at their drain side so that they can usually be operated as autonomous sanitary units and without maintenance.
Public sanitary devices and toilet installations should, in cities, occupy as little space as possible so that, in particular, sanitary cells are extremely compact in construction. On the other hand each user should have sufficient freedom of motion within the sanitary cell. Therefore, e.g. for wheelchair users, a sufficient amount of free motion surface must be provided in front of and next to the toilet or bowl. This clearly legitimate requirement is, however, in conflict with the desire for a very compact configuration of the sanitary cell. Furthermore, the components and devices of public sanitary cells must function in a reliable manner and, in particular, must not present any danger to the user. A technical solution must therefore be found having high safety requirements.
It is the underlying purpose of the invention to create a sanitary cell of the above mentioned kind which has a sufficient amount of space, in particular for wheelchair users, despite its compact construction.